It is desirable to generate data relating to the impact and movement experienced by fragile articles such as glassware or fruit and vegetables during bulk processing or handling. By way of example, processing of potatoes involves a number of steps, each of which potentially exposes the potatoes to damaging impact. In order to optimize production of undamaged potatoes, it is desirable for the operator of processing equipment to have available data relating to the impact experienced by the potatoes as they are being processed. This may be accomplished by placing within a batch of potatoes being processed a device having the general configuration and weight of a typical potato, and which incorporates a means to measure and record the impact received by the device. The assumption is made that this correlates with the impact experienced by the individual potatoes. It will be seen that although the example of potatoes is given, such an article may be adapted for use with a wide variety of loose articles. In typical prior art devices, the module would then be retrieved at a desired stage and the recorded impact data analyzed.
Examples of devices of this nature include U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,564 B. R. (Tennes) which relates to an impact detection device mounted in a casing resembling the shape of a potato. U.S. Pat. No. 5,426,595 (Picard) relates to a portable device for detecting and recording shocks capable of affecting objects during transportation and/or handling.
It is desirable in such a device that the user can precisely correlate the impact data measured by the device with a particular stage in the processing operation. For this purpose, the operator should have some means to record in the data stream generated by the device the occurrence of a specific event or moment in time. It is also desirable that an operator be able to view the impact data in real time, i.e., as the articles are being processed. These objectives may be achieved by providing a device wherein the impact data measured by an impact measuring module is transmitted to a remote unit, as the data is being generated for both real-time viewing and recording. The recorded data may be down-loaded to a computer for further data processing and/or storage. The remote unit may also incorporate a means for the viewer to insert event markers or other information within the recorded data stream, in order to precisely correlate the impact data with events occurring during the processing operation.
A further desirable feature is to provide an impact measuring module that may be miniaturized sufficiently to be placed within a mass of objects, wherein the individual objects are relatively small such as typical potatoes. The use of a remote data storage and display unit reduces the functions required of the module and its power requirements. This permits a reduction in the size of the impact measuring module.